If you aren’t super confident about baring your figure on the beach, you’ll love the retro swimwear comeback. Vintage styles for all shapes and sizes provide extra coverage while rejuvenating classic glamour girl looks. A new wave of cuts and fabrics can help you hide any physical flaws. Check out the best features of Swimsuits Direct’s one-piece bathing suits, maillots, swim dresses, and high-waist bottoms.
Throwback Advantages
Maximum coverage: Women of all sizes have body issues. Skinnier women want to add weight and contours. Heavier ladies hope to shed those excesses. Luckily, tasteful cuts go beyond concealing all or most of your midriff to hugging your waist and hips properly. That combination flatters thin to thick shapes subtly.
Age neutral: Busy women and mothers may not have time to prioritize fitness. Extra post-pregnancy pounds make wearing swimsuits with confidence tricky for some moms. From young to mature, all females can feel attractive in these enduring styles that disguise tummies.
One-Piece Bathing Suits
Dating back to the 18th century, women have worn one-piece swimsuits. They’re still popular standbys for showing off feminine curves today. Low-dipping necklines and cutouts can make fuller coverage appear just as hot as bikinis. Plunging necklines draw attention downward to your waist, your figure’s narrowest section, for welcome slimming effects. Side cutouts and mesh inserts can lengthen and trim your torso and legs.
Browse Swimsuits Direct for one-piece bathing suits that bring back yesteryear’s glory. Consider Anne Cole’s shirred bandeaus with halter straps to give your bust a nice lift. Seafolly’s looks go from deep-V necklines to cute boy legs. The latter’s hemlines extend just enough to conceal troublesome thighs.
Maillots
“Baywatch,” the 1989-2001 hit TV series, made traditional lifeguard maillots trendy among real-life beachgoers. It was responsible for sales of red-hot, one-piece bathing suits reaching the one million mark. To recreate the basic water rescue vibe, go for retro Anne Cole maillots. Or choose from Swimsuits Direct’s embellished styles featuring flirty accents like cutouts, sheer inserts, and ruffles.
Swim Dresses
Skirted one-piece bathing suits provide added coverage for a common problem area, the upper thighs. From extended lengths to loose-fitting overhangs to ruffled hems, Swimsuits Direct swim dresses will help you embody the modern-day version of a vintage Hollywood starlet.
High-Waist Bottoms
Unlike fit athletes and supermodels, your abs might not be toned and flat. Some bikini styles keep shrinking. But you want more fabric instead of less? No problem. You’ll be glad to rediscover traditional high-waist bottoms. While sculpting your form into the enviable hourglass illusion, their control-top quality is increasing these retro briefs’ popularity.
Swimsuits Direct lets you buy two-piece bathing suit upper and lower halves separately. So mix and match designers, sizes, cuts, colors, and patterns. Look through our offerings for high-waist bottoms and boy shorts. Besides covering your belly, they hold it in and smooth your hips. To reveal a little skin, pick styles with sheer inserts or cutouts. Or try strappy or lace-up sides. Pair vintage briefs with tops like La Blanca’s halters or bandeaus to accentuate your bust.
Materials: You’ll be grateful that today’s throwback swimming suits have eliminated the heavy, scratchy textiles of former times. Instead, soft and stretchy fabrics, ruching, shirring, and internal tummy toners will help support ample breasts and minimize a fuller midsection and rear.
Even though designers have made comfy fabric changes, they’ve retained memorable prints and frills including:
Stripes: Choose swimsuits with alternating white and bold stripes that mimic classic beach towels. Any combination of red, white, and blue creates an old-school nautical or patriotic flair.
Florals: Nothing depicts the gentle gender better than lovely floral patterns. Wearing petite petals or big blossoms, you’ll look and feel your girly best.
Polka dots: Dainty white circles on backgrounds in contrasting shades evoke earlier, simpler days. For timeless appeal, pick polka dots.
Gingham: A cheerful motif that’s all the rage again is gingham. Its sweet white and color checks are reminiscent of carefree summer picnics.
Embellishments: Lace, crochet, macramé, fringe, flounces, ruffles, and bows enhance smaller busts and hips. As those ornamental elements give you a shapelier silhouette, they also feminize simple cuts and prints.
Fashion accessories: Complete your nostalgic look with pin-up girl accessories like a big hat, oversized sunglasses, red lipstick, a pretty parasol, and high heels.